IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,850,768
Granted Patent B2
US 10,850,768 · App. 16/127,526 · Granted Dec 1, 2020

Suspension-system degradation detection

Inventors: Lodewijk Wijffels (Northville, MI); Devon Eyerman (Plymouth, MI); Joshua Guerra (Farmington Hills, MI); Donald Bradfield (Berkley, MI); Ronald Loyd Chadwick (Redford Township, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B62D6/008B62D15/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,850,768
App. No.
16/127,526
Filed
Sep 11, 2018
Granted
Dec 1, 2020
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3662
USPC
701/42
Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions. The processor is programmed to record steering-system torque in response to a difference between a detected steering angle and a requested steering angle exceeding an angle threshold, increment a counter based on the recorded steering-system torque, and set a repair indicator in response to the counter exceeding a counter threshold.

Claims (24)

1. A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, the processor programmed to:

start recording steering-system torque over time in response to a difference between a detected steering angle and a requested steering angle exceeding an angle threshold;

stop recording the steering-system torque in response to the difference between the detected steering angle and the requested steering angle decreasing below the angle threshold;

after stopping recording, calculate a road-impact energy for a period from starting recording to ending recording based on the steering-system torque over time;

increment a counter based on the calculated road-impact energy; and

output a flag in response to the counter exceeding a counter threshold.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to calculate a maximum steering-system torque based on the recorded steering-system torque, and increment the counter based on the maximum steering-system torque.

3. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the counter is an energy counter, the counter threshold is an energy-counter threshold, and the processor is further programmed to increment a force counter based on the recorded steering-system torque, and output the flag in response to the force counter exceeding a force-counter threshold.

4. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the difference between the detected steering angle and the requested steering angle is a tracking error, and the processor is further programmed to record the tracking error in response to the tracking error exceeding the angle threshold, and increment the counter based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded tracking error.

5. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further programmed to calculate a maximum steering-system torque based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded tracking error, and increment the counter based on the maximum steering-system torque.

6. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to record a steering-system speed in response to the difference between the detected steering angle and the requested steering angle exceeding the angle threshold, and increment the counter based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded steering-system speed.

7. The computer of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed to calculate one of the road-impact energy or a maximum steering-system torque based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded steering-system speed, and increment the counter based on the one of the road-impact energy or the maximum steering-system torque.

8. A method comprising:

starting recording steering-system torque over time in response to a difference between a detected steering angle and a requested steering angle exceeding an angle threshold;

stopping recording the steering-system torque in response to the difference between the detected steering angle and the requested steering angle decreasing below the angle threshold;

after stopping recording, calculating a road-impact energy for a period from starting recording to ending recording based on the steering-system torque over time;

incrementing a counter based on the calculated road-impact energy; and

outputting a flag in response to the counter exceeding a counter threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising calculating a maximum steering-system torque based on the recorded steering-system torque, and incrementing the counter based on the maximum steering-system torque.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the counter is an energy counter, and the counter threshold is an energy-counter threshold, the method further comprising incrementing a force counter based on the recorded steering-system torque, and outputting the flag in response to the force counter exceeding a force-counter threshold.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the difference between the detected steering angle and the requested steering angle is a tracking error, the method further comprising recording the tracking error in response to the tracking error exceeding the angle threshold, and incrementing the counter based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded tracking error.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising calculating a maximum steering-system torque based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded tracking error, and incrementing the counter based on the maximum steering-system torque.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising recording a steering-system speed in response to the difference between the detected steering angle and the requested steering angle exceeding the angle threshold, and incrementing the counter based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded steering-system speed.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising calculating one of the road-impact energy or a maximum steering-system torque based on the recorded steering-system torque and the recorded steering-system speed, and incrementing the counter based on the one of the road-impact energy or the maximum steering-system torque.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE SPELLING OF THE MIDDLE NAME OF INVENTOR PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 046837 FRAME: 0920. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 3, 2018
From: WIJFFELS, LODEWIJK; EYERMAN, DEVON; GUERRA, JOSHUA; BRADFIELD, DONALD; CHADWICK, RONALD LOYD
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 047707/0293 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2018
From: WIJFFELS, LODEWIJK; EYERMAN, DEVON; GUERRA, JOSHUA; BRADFIELD, DONALD; CHADWICK, RONALD LYOD
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 046837/0920 →
Continuity (1)
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